I would like to wish all my Muslim brothers and sisters on LJ and casual readers too a peaceful and blessed fast. Every year in the UK (and elsewhere) it gets harder and harder - only two more years and the longest day will fall in Ramadam. This year it will be 18 hours, their about.

May God give all those fasting the strength and patience to endure and may God accept their fast.

And may all of us, Brothers and Sisters in Abraham, People of the Book, and Brothers and Sisters in Adam and Eve, all of God's creation, take this opportunity to reflect we have more in common than not, and to work together for peaceful coexistance and understanding and tolerance and respect of all of humanity, whatever and however we believe, or chose not to believe. Freedom is God's precious gift: "Oppression is worse than murder."

"Surely anyone, Christian, Jew, convert, anyone who believes in God and the Last Day and leads a good life will have nothing to fear from God."

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Ameen. And I would pray that in all religions that there would be an understanding of God' diverse creation of human sexuality is natural and God-given and the way out of sin is to allow same-sex marriage. But I might as well pray for the moon on a stick :-(

But peace, understanding and toleration between faiths would be great - so far, in my experience, Muslims and Chritians only join forces in homophobia!

Toleration, understanding and compassion for ALL human beings, yes. God is the Most Merciful and Sees All, we must leave judgement to him, I think. A little historical persepective on certain passages would be lovely - after all scripture does not condemn slavery, yet we have moved forward.

However, I think you are being a little unfair. What about the Make Poverty History campaign in 2005, that was a multi faith movement. and the Jubilee 2000 campaign to end third world debt? It may have originated with Christianity but other faith groups were very vocal in that. And charities and individuals from all faith groups work together all the time in Third World refugee camps and shanty towns and in Western inner cities with the poor, the sick, the oppressed, the homeless. So on that, I must disagree. Muslims and Christians frequently join forces to work for the good of humanity.

Wahabis, Jihadists, and the more vocal fundamentalist, evangelical forms of Protestantism get the media attention, granted. Feeding the hungry doesn't get the news attention the bombers of abortion clinics or the picketers of a gay person's funeral gets, granted, and certainly the few Islamist terrorists have hijacked the West's understanding of a faith based on Peace through Submission to God.

I pray your fast is going well and you are coping with these long days and caring for your father x